Shocking but true – more than 40 infant and children’s medicines produced by Johnson & Johnson were recalled.
FDA officials confirmed significant violations in manufacturing regulations by drug maker McNeil, a division of Johnson & Johnson. The severity of this issue can be understood by the fact that the case has been referred to FDA crime branch.
In January, McNeil recalled several containers of children’s drugs, including over-the-counter drugs after they received complaints of an “unusual” smell that made them feel sick.
The category of recalled drugs include:
- Tylenol Infants’ Drops
- Children’s Tylenol Suspensions
- Children’s Tylenol Suspensions
- Motrin Infants’ Drops
- Children’s Motrin Suspensions
- Children’s Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles
- Children’s Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles
Production has been suspended at the plant where these recalled drugs are manufactured. The drugs are made in the United States for distribution in the United States and other countries, such as Canada, Dubai, Kuwait, Fiji, Jamaica, Panama, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago.
In spite of the “voluntary” recall, FDA blames Johnson & Johnson for the delay in fixing the problem. Issues with the drugs were reported as far back as 2008. According to FDA, some of the products contained too much of the active ingredient, some had a deficiency of inactive ingredients and others contained “tiny particles,” which may be tiny metal parts.
Just when the rumbling is subsiding on whether children’s medication is safe or not, another recall screams at us. FDA advices to stop administering these products with immediate effect, and suggests switching to the generic formula, which is not affected by the recall.
